well lets start with # 1 at TDC - when your intake valve on #1 rocker closes then your at TDC Setting your lash = set intake when exhaust starts to openset exhaust when intake is almost closedi set my lash at .022 HOT i also pull my spark plugs so it's not so hard to hand crank over and i just go right down the line with the rest of the cylinders, there are other ways to go about it but this works best for me GOOD LUCK!

OK S. Mcqueen here the easiest way to adjust your valves providing your have solid lifters.First get an old distr. cap cut out a hole in the middle and leave all the terminals where the spark plug wires go into intact, then just put the distr. cap with the hole in it on your car and this way you can align the rotor dead nuts on the terminal, but make sure first your on top dead center and @ no avancement. This way you can go to each terminal in the firing order instaed of trying to get each cylinder @ TDC, its easy Mike

I can't see any reason to do it with the engine running. That is a horrible mess. Once the engine is at operating temp the rocker covers come off and it's 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 (if it's a 289 or 302 cam), right down the line adjusting the intake and the exhaust on each cylinder as you go. The Ford manual will tell you to rotate the engine completely only 1 or 2 times, a third of a revolution at a time, and they'll all be adjusted because you'll be adjusting this cylinder's intake and that cylinder's exhaust etc. etc. 69mustangmike's way is much easier to keep track of for me. I tried it by the manual a couple of times but I guess I'm just not that smart.

Adjust em cold. Aluminum rockers versus steel will require different allowances but if .025 hot lash is your goal then adjust them all cold at .028" Put valve covers back on and bring engine up to temp. Stop engine, take off one valve cover and measure one exhaust and one intake at TDC, pick any one of the 4. Read the hot lash with your feeler guages. If its .025 great, if still too loose then do it all over again, .002 at a time till you get it where you want it.

Next morning after engine has cooled take a cold lash measurement and write it down somewhere so the next time you can do this once on a cold engine.

As far as taking your car to have someone else do it? That's like having someone clean your weapon or pack your parachute. Valve lash adjustment on a boss 302 is a tribal man law - this ritual is a mandatory requirement for boss ownership

Setting Valve Lash on Mechanical CamsAll the valves must be set individually and only when the lifter is properly located on the base circle of the lobe. At this position the valve is closed and there is no lift taking place. How will you know when the valve you are adjusting is in the proper position with the lifter on the base circle of the cam? This can be accomplished by watching the movement of the valves.

1. When the engine is hot (at operating temperature) remove the valve covers and pick the cylinder you are going to adjust. 2. Hand turn the engine in its normal direction of rotation while watching the exhaust valve on that particular cylinder. When the exhaust valve begins to open, stop and adjust that cylinder?s intake valve. (Why? Because when the exhaust is just beginning to open, the intake lifter will be on the base circle of the lobe, so the intake is the one we can now adjust.) 3. Use a feeler gauge, set to the correct valve lash, and place it between the tip of the valve stem and rocker arm. Adjust until you arrive at the proper setting and lock the adjuster in place. 4. After the intake valve has been adjusted, continue to rotate the engine, watching that same intake valve. The intake valve will go to full lift and then begin to close. When the intake is almost closed, stop and adjust the exhaust valve on that particular cylinder. (Again, when we see the intake valve almost closed, we are sure that the exhaust lifter is on the base circle of the lobe.) Use the feeler gauge and follow the procedure described before in step 3. 5. Both valves on this cylinder are now adjusted, so move to your next cylinder and follow the same procedure again. In the future you may find shortcuts to this method, but it still remains the best way to do the job correctly.

This is pretty straight forward. And I agree with above....no reason to adjust hot. and never let anyone else do this work for you. It is the pride of ownership, and knowing this critical step was done right.

Ok to run the valves, first set the motor to spec COLD.Bring the motor up to operating temp.Do one bank at a time.Go No Go gauges work good but I prefer a dial gauge, on a Boss 302 there is no problem mounting it but with a Boss429 one must bolt a flat steel plate near where you are working so the magnetic base can hold onto.This process is long and drawn out but it is most accurate.Also one very important item to look at is your rocker arm,where it meets the valve head, if your engine has a few miles on it the rock will have the impression of the valve head beaten into it, this will give you a false valve lash if using a Go No Go feeler gauge.You can hand file the rocker back to smooth to correct this.Run your valves on regular basis if you put miles on your car, this will tell you if other things are not correct like the cam, push rods, rockers and lifters...To me the most important part is tinkering and enjoying my ride.....Nitro?.

It depends on how often you drive the car and how long it sits. I drive my car maybe 500-1000 miles per year and it sits all winter. I adjust the valves and change the oil at the beginning of every good weather season.

I believe that the standard adjustment schedule is 10,000 miles but thee cars aren't usually driven that much anymore.

I adjust mine hot, not running. Side note: I change my oil in the fall before the car sits all winter to lesson the acid from doing it's damage. Engineer friend told me to do this and run it to temp, then store it. I'll probably never know if it makes a diff??